Professions 201: A Guide to Collecting Recipes

Finding recipes is the mark of a dedicated collector--beyond dutifully ticking off achievements and diligently doing tasks simply for points. You are solely responsible for setting your collecting pace; the freedom can be frustrating at times, but exhilarating when you've finished a subset of recipes and feel like you've solved part of a large jigsaw puzzle, hunting down recipes from obscure instances and reputations. It's fun to chase down patterns across Azeroth, when so many achievements and quests are now straightforward. Plus, you may even find generous twinks willing to tip hundreds of gold for obscure recipes!

I began to collect recipes seriously during the dog-days of ICC. I rolled a priest to learn inscription techniques and tailoring patterns, as well as a deathknight to learn most blacksmithing. I began to care more about enchanting on my rogue, finished up most engineering schematics on my warlock, and hoped for transmute discoveries again on my alt rogue. For obscure reasons, Jewelcrafting and Leatherworking have never held a particular charm--perhaps it's because I rolled these professions purely for raid benefits and blithely unlearned them to pick up Tailoring and Engineering mounts.

It's been over a year, and I'm still rounding these collections out. I really enjoyed figuring out what Burning Crusade reputations my then-fresh 85 needed to grind out for a pattern, or what vanilla boss needed to be soloed. Since the project has started, there's been raid progression and achievement-hunting taking priority at points, but it's always been fun to return to. Ackis Recipe List is a great mod to use to track down all recipes and their methods of acquisition. Our own Wowhead profiler also keeps track of your recipes as well.

In the following tabs, I'll highlight some of the quirky patterns, collection methods, and achievements for each profession. We've recently updated our profession pages to cover the practicalities of each profession, so check back there for the profession trainers and other nuts and bolts!

Alchemy

Alchemists can create numerous potions and elixirs, as well as transmuting elements and gems. There are numerous world drops, recipes from unique vendors, rewards for reputation grinds, as well as discoveries learnt while creating other items.

Discoveries are one way to learn many recipes. In the process of making other items, you'll have a small chance to learn new recipes.BC-era resistance cauldrons are discovered through making individual Major Protection Potions, which are mostly mob-specific drops.

The remaining BC-era transmutes, flasks, and potions are discovered through making any type of BC-era item (speculation is that it's been changed so that discoveries favor the type of item you are crafting).

Blacksmithing

Blacksmiths mainly craft plate armor as well as Ebonsteel Belt Buckles. Collecting Blacksmithing recipes is a difficult process as you will be trying to find plans itemized for tanks, dps, and healers. There used to be crafting specializations (e.g. Weaponsmith, Armorsmith) allowing players to learn a handful of plans--this has been removed but it's still buggy as players can't learn the opposing specialization's patterns. Of course, there's many patterns available via reputation as well. Blacksmithing is already difficult to level, so good luck if you want to be a completionist!

Besides trainers, a good chunk of recipes can be gotten by turning in Cata-level bars to Blacksmithing suppliers in major cities.

Enchanting

Enchanting allows players to disenchant items, create enchants, and enchant their rings with special stat boosts. There's also fun items like Magic Lamp! As expansions have gone by, the means to collecting these formulae have simplified but some vanilla and BC-era formulae will prove tricky to find. Many Wrath formulae can be purchased from Vanessa Sellers for Wrath-era shards, and Cata formulae for Heavenly Shards and Maelstrom Crystals.

Engineering

Engineering provides all sorts of bombs, goggles, gadgets, and fun flavor items. Engineers were in high demand to craft epic ammunition in past expansions, but that's been removed. There are two types of Engineering specializations: Gnomish and Goblin. You will not be able to retain knowledge of one specialization's schematic if you swap, so choose wisely if you're after a particular silly item.

Sunwell Plateau has a series of BoE engineering goggles, which allow players to upgrade their BC-era epic goggles. The drop rate is pretty tiny though.

There used to be engineering huts tucked away in corners of Azshara, The Hinterlands, and Stranglethorn Vale; the vendors sold unique limited schematics. The one in Azshara is now removed, but those schematics are now available from trainers and the other huts remain in Cataclysm.

In previous expansions, Alliance and Horde needed to trade Schematic: Blue Firework and Schematic: Red Firework via the neutral AH, as faction-changing would automatically change the color of the firework. Now, goblin Buckslappy is happy to sell you all types of fireworks--of course on a limited timer.

Inscription

Inscription is a fairly straightforward profession for collectors. Make sure to do and daily while scouring the AH for Book of Glyph Mastery. These books should have been phased out in 4.2, but it currently remains that some recipes are only learnt via them.

Jewelcrafting

Jewelcrafting, added in TBC, mostly provides players with gems, necks, and rings. Perks for Jewelcrafters include special BoP gems with increased stats, as well as BoP starter trinkets. There are an endless amount of patterns to be gotten from vendors, doing dailies, and redeeming tokens for Wrath and Cata recipes, in addition to checking the AH for BoE patterns. There's also some strange lower-level patterns and more interesting ways to collect TBC patterns.

New to Cataclysm are several Vanity Monocles, which are BoE world drops. These can fetch a hefty price on the Auction House.

At 350, players can learn how to craft several focusing lens, items which create a neon line between the player and the target.

Jewelcrafters can now directly purchase or discover designs from Tome of Burning Jewels for cutting epic gems.

Leatherworking

Leatherworking provides leather and mail armor to dps and healers, as well as special leg and bracer enchants for crafters (and Pattern: Comfortable Insoles). There are numerous patterns to be collected, as the profession covers two armor types. Cata-level recipes require Heavy Savage Leather to purchase from special vendors in Twilight Highlands and capital cities, Braeg Stoutbeard sells Wrath-level patterns, and there's many patterns from reputation. There used to be three different types of Leatherworking specializations, but they have been removed and their patterns trainable from regular Leatherworking trainers (unlike the Blacksmithing glitch).

There are a number of BoP patterns from Outlands instances--both normal and heroic. Remember that the ones from Kael are also world BoE drops. Pattern: Arcanoweave Robe is pretty easy to farm from Mechanar and is one of the nicest robes in the game.

The contents of Knot Thimblejack's Cache are now removed from the game, with the changes to Dire Maul. You can't learn how to make Gordok Ogre Suit anymore as well--you can just acquire them from a repeatable quest. However, as the epic patterns are BoE, you may get lucky and find some remaining on the AH. Pattern: Shadoweave Mask, from a removed quest in Searing Gorge, is also available via the AH as it is BoE.

There are several shirts around Northrend that only tailors can loot, but they are BoE so can also be placed on the AH.

Secondary Professions

Secondary professions are: Archaeology, Cooking, First Aid, Fishing. Characters can maximize all of these professions concurrently. Unlike primary professions, secondary professions do not come with built-in stat boosts to your character, but they are very practical. For example, you can, with the right level Cooking, make your own buff food instead of going broke at the Auction House. (Or, secondary professions like Archaeology may seem like a lesson in futility.) If you max out all secondary professions to 525, you earn More Skills to Pay the Bills, but there's much more fun to be had.

Archaeology

Archaeology is a new secondary profession added in Cataclysm. The purpose of archaeology is to unearth fragments from the past, piecing them together to form artifacts. You'll do so by flying to specific digsites, discovering 3-6 fragments per node, and solving when you've accumulated enough fragments and keystones (roughly 30 per common artifact, 100+ for rares and epics.) Some solves vend for hundreds of gold, while others turn into BoA ilvl 359 epics. Other times, you can go hours finding annoying digsites and solving artifacts that vend for . Regardless of what you solve, at first it's a fun way to learn more about Azeroth's lore since all artifacts, found in the Archaeology spellbook, have an entry with fun flavor text.

As you solve more rare and epic artifacts, you'll work towards It Belongs in a Museum!, which grants the title "Professor." There are currently over 30 rare artifacts, so you should be able to reach this with some diligence and luck. Definitely a favorite title of many disgruntled graduate students.

Cooking

Cooking serves a practical purpose; it provides your toon with all sorts of buff food, useful for raiding as well as questing. However, just like any food store, there's a gourmet section of odd things you can acquire from "mood" food to an array of alcohol.

Completing the Cooking meta-achievement, Hail to the Chef, will reward you with the title "Chef."

Recipe: Thistle Tea and Recipe: Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops are no longer obtainable by new players. Thistle Tea is available to rogues, but very early in Vanilla, all classes could purchase a BoE version. There's still a few floating around, so it doesn't hurt to look. As for the Chops, the recipe was one reward from an epic questline tied to the opening of the AQ gates, now removed in Cataclysm.

Fishing

Just as in real life, Fishing is a relaxing profession with a sense of the unexpected--you could find a great catch, discover treasure, or return home empty-handed. While some fish are required for practical in-game food, there are numerous items from Fishing that are purely vanity status items, like Dustbringer.

Completing the fishing meta grants Accomplished Angler and the funny title "Salty." This meta will require a good deal of patience.

The Kalu'ak Fishing Derby is held every Saturday at 2pm, awarding either Dread Pirate Ring or Boots of the Bay to the first player to redeem Blacktip Shark, fished from any pool in Northrend that contains Pygmy Suckerfish. This contest generally is finished in about 6 minutes. Find a place that has several nearby pools (I won this by the pool near Fort Wildevar) and turn your graphics settings down so Dalaran loads quickly when you hearth back.

Dust, Dust, and More Dust! has been changed recently to allow items disenchanted via the loot roll box to count towards the total. Tell your guildmates to send all their BoE greens to an enchanter instead of vending them while leveling to speed this up.

Gemcrafter Extraordinaire requires the guild to cut 2,500 gems of at least superior quality. This literally does mean any superior-quality gem--gems from Outlands and Wrath will count towards this, even though they have less stats than a Cataclysm green gem.

Mighty Miners requires the guild to mine 50,000 rocks and ore, down from 100,000 in early Cataclysm.

Making History requires guildmates to complete 500 Archaeology solves. This is incredibly easy--a few people leveling the profession should take care of it.

Skinnin' for a Livin' requires the guild to skin 50,000 creatures, which is a large amount. However, with the demand for Pristine Hide in Firelands craftables, progress should be made on this achievement. Try areas like Tol Barad and unphased Sethria's Roost for easy leather.

The Pen is Mightier requires the guild to make 2,500 glyphs. With glyphs now permanently learnt, the market has slowed down a bit, but at least it doesn't require 25,000 anymore.

Well, that should certainly keep you collecting for a while! Again, this isn't meant to provide a source of easy gold, but it's a nice change of pace from raiding or concrete achievement-chasing. You might learn something new along the way or discover that you've got a discontinued pattern on your hands. Either way, happy farming!

Comments

Comment by Chaosrock

on 2011-07-25T15:06:47-05:00

I have the addon Ackis Recipe List. It will scan each of your tradeskills and tell you which recipes you are missing. It will then show a very simple list of where to get the missing recipes. I find it very handy when chasing down my last few missing recipes.

Comment by perculia

on 2011-07-25T15:19:05-05:00

You are absolutely right, it is awesome and should be mentioned along with the Profiler's ability to track recipes :)

Comment by Narinae

on 2011-07-25T15:37:58-05:00

The Northrend Fur Linings are BoP zone-wide drops.

The fur linings for resists drop primarily off of specific mobs, a different mob for each resist. For example, Pattern: Fur Lining - Nature Resist is only off of Cult Alchemists, the fire resist is only off Skeletal Runesmiths, etc.

The fur linings that aren't for resists are taught by trainers.

That said, this looks like a very handy guide! Thanks!

Comment by perculia

on 2011-07-25T15:43:19-05:00

This is true. However, some of them are categorized in the DB as zone-wide drops (the NR cape enchants too) and reveal the specific mobs when clicked on. Hard to describe it either way without confusing some readers :/ I've made the description a bit wordier to cover both bases.

Comment by bullingdon

on 2011-07-25T16:07:01-05:00

Great list, thanks! I only have one suggestion:

I know the Engineering list isn't intended to be comprehensive, but I think the Field Repair Bot 74A is worth adding because it's required to make Jeeves, which will be on the to-do list of almost any engineer. It's also acquired in an unusual way, not being from a trainer, drop, or vendor. The plans for FRB74 are picked up from the floor of BRD near Golem Lord Argelmach.

Comment by trest

on 2011-07-25T16:59:07-05:00

Fishing: The fishing contest days are backwards. Northrend/Kalu'ak is on Saturdays, Stranglethorn is on Sundays.

Comment by Ackis

Comment by perculia

on 2011-07-25T18:44:07-05:00

Added, thanks!

Comment by Aislinge

on 2011-07-25T23:00:38-05:00

Another great guide! Thanks guys! (keep them coming!)

Comment by gardibolt

on 2011-07-26T10:07:34-05:00

The BC alchemy recipes are a royal pain. I slaughtered Arcanists for about six hours to get the Major Arcane Protection recipe to drop. Major Holy wasn't too bad, since I was killing those mobs anyway while working on Ogri'la rep. The worst is Major Frost, though. Running all of Mana-Tombs, over and over, hoping the Nexus Prince drops it this time....just awful. I still don't have it and kind of doubt I ever will before I burn out. Wish there were a way to port in like in BRD. WoWHead comments seem to suggest that heroic mode increases the chances substantially but still no go.

Meanwhile, despite doing lots of BC potions/flasks/elixirs (and post-BC ones), I have yet to get a single discovery from it. I guess they're still dropping but the RNG just hates me.

Comment by Aislinge

on 2011-07-28T01:26:40-05:00

Meanwhile, despite doing lots of BC potions/flasks/elixirs (and post-BC ones), I have yet to get a single discovery from it. I guess they're still dropping but the RNG just hates me.

/hug

I feel your pain - the BC one's are the absolute worse and I was playing in BC and leveling Alch way back then... it's something they could adjust *slightly* (up the drop rate) and I don't think it would hurt (or that anyone aside from Alchemists would care).

Comment by PingHansen

on 2011-07-28T05:15:24-05:00

Very nice guide.

Ackis Recipe List is a good help.

Another nifty helper, is Recipe Known, which will let you see in a glance, if the recipe is relevant.

Recipe Radar is still a great help in pinpointing the relevant recipes in your current zone. Unfortunately it is also a bit outdated, as the list of recipes and their locations is pre cata. Needs a new maintainer.

A real money saver for those who frequent the AH, is Swindler Preventer, which will show known vendor prices in the tooltip.

Comment by Chaosrock

on 2011-07-28T13:32:47-05:00

A real money saver for those who frequent the AH, is Swindler Preventer, which will show known vendor prices in the tooltip.

That is a good idea, but a tip for buying recipes is if it has a white name (ie. common quality) then you know it was sold by a vendor and you could probably find a better deal. I always keep that in mind when buying recipes. People will buy the Runed Arcanite Rod recipe from Moonglade for a few gold and sell it for 150g on the AH.

Comment by Chaosrock

on 2011-07-28T13:41:21-05:00

Recipe: Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops is still available for new players who purchase the recipe from another player who completed the quest-line (to the point required to get that recipe). It is not BoP thus it can be bought and sold.

A little note about this recipe, due to the overall rarity and desirability of it, I have seen it sell for up to 100,000g on my server. It was the highest valued item in my Auctionator price history, coming in at about 12k more than Reins of the Crimson Deathcharger.

Comment by Spotastic

on 2011-07-29T20:20:10-05:00

The enchanting pattern Enchant Weapon - Crusader still drops in the game. You have to get it from the Scarlet Archmages at Tyr's Hand prior to finishing the quest to kill the leader in the Chapel and phase the area.

Comment by Just1Micky

on 2011-08-01T08:48:46-05:00

The Archaeology achievement for the guild cannot be dones with 3 people i.e. a few. Research projects only count towards this if they are new to the player, i.e. if the player has already dug up an item, it won't contribute if he/she digs ithat same item again!

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